Exclusive: "I'd rather use my brain": Rep. Mike Levin warns against total AI reliance
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Rep. Mike Levin on Sept. 22 2026 at Axios House. Photo: Axios screenshot
Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.) said that, unlike many aging members of Congress, he uses AI "all the time," speaking at Axios House at Climate Week & UN General Assembly.
Why it matters: Levin said Congress must pass "guardrails" around AI but declined to support a full block on a data center development.
What they're saying: Levin told Axios' Amy Harder on Tuesday that if he had to choose to use AI all the time or never, he would choose never.
- "[Y]ou have to embrace technology. But at the same time, if it's an all-or-nothing proposition, I'd rather use my brain and keep what brain cells we have left. I think that'd be good," he said.
- Levin continued: "I am so saddened that only about 16% of Americans read a book each day for recreation. That number is about half of what it was even just a handful of years ago. And as much as I think all these new LLMs are really cool and you can do a lot of neat things with them, I also think, you know, we need to use our brains."
- "I have a 14-year-old and a 12-year-old at home, so I'm trying to get them to actually read books and stuff. You know, like we did when we were kids."
Zoom in: Levin said that because America is "such a diverse country," data center development works for some and not for others.
- "You've got certain parts of the country where this is booming and will continue to. You've got other places like my home state, home district, where you're going to have tremendous pushback," he said.
- "We are a big, diverse country, which is why we need rules of the road for everybody to follow, and why we have to absolutely make sure that the average consumer is not paying the bill for these huge data centers that are proliferating."
Catch up quick: Levin has introduced or co-sponsored a variety of bills that would place more restrictions on data centers.
- One would require data centers to bear the costs of any increased electricity prices caused by their strain on the energy grid. It would also incentivize large energy-consuming facilities to power their operations with zero-emission electricity.
- He's also co-sponsored a separate bill, which would require Energy Secretary Chris Wright to establish best practices for siting data centers. Those could include requiring data center companies to consider available energy, utility bills, water and electricity use, and environmental impacts.
Go deeper: Mapped: America's next data centers and the power they'll need
